CELEBRATING FAITH MONTH

On 2025-04-29, Representative Mary E. Miller (R-IL-15) delivered a floor speech titled "CELEBRATING FAITH MONTH" in the House.

CELEBRATING FAITH MONTH

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1719-H1721] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1900 CELEBRATING FAITH MONTH (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mrs. Miller of Illinois was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.) General Leave Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Illinois? There was no objection. Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in recognition of Faith Month, a time that we set aside each year in this body to share the importance of our faith and how it inspires us in public service. We just celebrated the greatest event in human history: the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When Christ ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives, he promised that the Holy Spirit would comfort and guide us. He also left us with Scripture that provides answers to every problem we face. Our Founding Fathers acknowledged the importance of God's Word and the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. In his ``Notes on the State of Virginia,'' Thomas Jefferson wrote: ``God, who gave us life, gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a Nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.'' Our first freedom, religious liberty, even finds its roots in Scripture in that God gives every man and woman the freedom to accept or reject His free gift of salvation. Patrick Henry acknowledged that: ``It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and the freedom of worship here.'' When the Constitutional Convention was about to fail, Benjamin Franklin called the delegates to prayer and declared: ``I have lived, sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured, sir, in the sacred writings that `except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.' ``I firmly believe this; and I also believe, that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.'' You can't design a building without a firm foundation, and that is why our Founders made sure our Republic was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. The Bible contains the answer to every major political issue we face, whether it be life, marriage, family, or the difference between a man and a woman. The Bible gives warnings to nations, governments, and rulers on how to properly lead its citizens. The Bible teaches us how to treat each other with dignity and respect and provides the ultimate source of purpose and contentment: a life committed to Jesus Christ. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin). Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank my very good friend (Mrs. Miller of Illinois), a very strong lady of faith, for this Special Order. We really appreciate this. I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to recognize and to celebrate what we call Faith Month, a time when we proudly and openly give voice to the faith that strengthens and sustains so many of us who serve up here and all across this great Nation of ours, both here in Congress and, as I said, the United States of America that was built, as my good friend Mrs. Miller said, based on the Judeo-Christian Bible and faith that we were handed by our forefathers. America was built on this foundation, as she said, of religious liberty: the very first freedom enshrined in our Bill of Rights. Our Founders understood that faith was not just a private matter but a powerful force for good in public life. I get so weary of hearing people say: Oh, we don't want to hear about politics in church or we don't want to hear about church in Congress. Well, politics in church has become something--if it has to do with morals and good and evil, then it is not politics, folks. That is church. We will talk about this very thing. It says right there before us: ``In God We Trust.'' We know where our Forefathers stood on this issue. Without a doubt, we are going to continue this great thing called the United States of America and what we were built on. We will honor this tradition. We recognize that faith is not something to be hidden away but is something to be lived out boldly and with joy. The Scripture reminds us that we are called to be a light on a hill, not to hide this light under a basket but to let it shine for all to see. Each of us comes from very different backgrounds here and with very different traditions, but the thread of faith that is woven through the fabric of our national story, we must always remember to honor that. Our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our Declaration of Independence are built on those principles, those Biblical principles. From prayers whispered on battlefields long ago to hymns sung in chapels, from the simple faith of farmers to the heartfelt petitions of families, faith has carried America through many, many trials, through triumphs and every moment in between, win or lose. Sometimes we profit when we lose, because we learn and we make ourselves better people that way. During this Faith Month, I am very proud to stand alongside my colleagues right here and speak of my Christian faith right on this very floor. I encourage every other Member to please join us to lift up the faith that guides us, to celebrate the freedom that protects us, and to remember that enduring truth that has been proclaimed from generation to generation: ``Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.'' May we never take our religious freedom for granted, may we steward it wisely, and may we always seek to lead, to serve, and to govern with humility, with conviction, and that unwavering faith. Mrs. MILLER of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, our Founding Fathers, including George Washington, did not shy away from expressing their religious beliefs. In 1854, Congress made the statement: ``The great, vital and conservative element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and the divine truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.'' That is Congress, 1854. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger). Mrs. HARSHBARGER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak on faith tonight. You know, the Bible so beautifully defines faith. In Hebrews 11:1, it says: ``Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.'' This Nation is in the midst of spiritual warfare--make no bones about it--for the soul of not only America but for the world. There is an assault on Christianity, and we have to be diligent in sharing our faith if we profess to be Christians. As my colleague, Mr. Babin, just quoted, Psalm 33:12 declares: ``Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.'' America is a Nation that is blessed, in [[Page H1720]] large part, because we are rooted in Judeo-Christian values. I want to speak about faith as it pertains to politics. During the earliest beginnings of our Nation, it was abundantly evident that Christianity played a formative role in shaping our Nation's founding. Christian principles shaped the Founders' thinking in a profound way. They believed that humans are created in the image of God with an informed conscience of what is right and what is wrong. They believed that humans are inherently sinful, and because of that, we always would need laws and a system of checks and balances. They believed God is the source of moral standards and that legislation should be in agreement with the moral law. They believed that religious liberty is a God-given right and must be protected. There was a British politician who served in the late 1700s, early 1800s. He was against the slave trade, and he devoted his life to promoting Christian values. His name was William Wilberforce. He wrote: ``I am disturbed when I see the majority of so-called Christians having such little understanding of the real nature of the faith they profess. Faith is a subject of such importance that we should not ignore it because of the distractions or the hectic pace of our lives.'' He goes on to say: ``I would suggest that faith is everyone's business. The advance or decline of faith is so intimately connected to the welfare of a society that it should be a particular interest to a politician.'' Being a Christian in a secular society is not an easy task, but we have examples who left benchmarks for not just our country to follow but for the world to follow. This generation of leaders has a tremendous opportunity to leave a Christ-honoring legacy that can possibly change not only our country but the world. We should let our faith be the catalyst for every decision that we make. I am thankful, as a Christian, I can share my faith from a platform that very few people will ever have the opportunity to share from, and that is right here in the House of Representatives. Wilberforce's work is an example to generations going forward to integrate faith, reason and courage into our engagement with those we have been called to serve